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Martin O'Malley Campaign Ad Backfires Due to the Third-Person Effect

Google.com

YouTube, the world's third most visited website, provides an environment where people have the freedom to post, view, and comment on all types of videos. Since the political campaign is in full effect, YouTube serves as a great place for politicians to post campaign ads and the public to openly criticize them. A recent study analyzed the third-person effect as it relates to campaign ads. The third-person phenomenon states that when people watch videos, they think others will be more influenced by the message portrayed than they will be. In the case of campaign ads, not only are people defensive when it comes to be being persuaded but they actually react negatively to the message.

In a campaign ad for Martin O’Malley titled “Believe”, it lists facts that support why O’Malley is successful. This video is intended to persuade viewers to support O’Malley and explain why he is a good candidate by allowing the audience to relate to the stories told in the ad. However, looking at the comments section below the video, the nicest thing someone said was, “I hope you die of syphilis O’Malley.” Clearly the message intended in this video created a complete opposite reaction from viewers.